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Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook | 
 enlarge | Author: Thomas Cleary
Publisher: Shambhala
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $16.47
You Save: $8.48 (34%)
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Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 148217
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 1590305728
Dewey Decimal Number: 170.440952
EAN: 9781590305720
ASIN: 1590305728
Publication Date: May 13, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Through the ages, the samurai have been associated with honor, fearlessness, calm, decisive action, strategic thinking, and martial prowess. Their ethos is known as bushido, the Way of the Warrior-Knight.
Here, premier translator Thomas Cleary presents a rich collection of writings on bushido by warriors, scholars, political advisors, and educators from the fifteenth century through the nineteenth century that provide a comprehensive, historically rich view of samurai life and philosophy. Training the Samurai Mind gives an insider's view of the samurai world: the moral and psychological development of the warrior, the ethical standards they were meant to uphold, their training in both martial arts and strategy, and the enormous role that the traditions of Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism had in influencing samurai ideals.
The writings deal with a broad range of subjects—from military strategy and political science, to personal discipline and character development. Cleary introduces each piece, putting it into historical context, and presents biographical information about the authors. This is an essential read for anyone interested in military history and samurai history, and for martial artists who want to understand strategy.
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| Customer Reviews:
 In Training June 2, 2008
B. J. Devitt (PA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook is a great book. the book is easy to read with short chapters and informative passages written by masters and translated by Thomas Cleary. This book gives a great insight on the history, mindset, and growth of the Samurai culture. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the philosophy and history of the Samurai.
The Heart, Soul, Mind & Spirit of the Samurai July 15, 2008
Terry Tozer (Reading, UK)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In his truly inimitable and engaging style, Thomas presents us with an introduction and then a summary of twenty two of Japans greatest samurai, there thoughts, philosophies and life stories.
Covering a period of samurai from 1349 to 1865, we get right into the mind, spirit and true nature of what it was like to live their dangerous lives and how they ingeniously schemed to work out ways to survive and win battles with their enemies. There was rarely any quarter given in these harsh and brutal times.
It wasn't all bravery, wit and courage. These Japanese "knights" had to work out life saving strategies and tactics that would always win the day. If they survived the battle that they had lost, then they would probably have to up their lives to their lord and do the honourable thing by committing suicide to save face.
Beautifully & interestingly written by an expert in his field, you would expect nothing less from Thomas.
With over 600 years of experience all in one book, this has to be one of the best reference books for those seeking to understand what "The Way of the Warrior" is all about.
 I think this Western mind missed quite a few of the nuances... August 30, 2008
Thomas Duff (Portland, OR United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I saw Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook by Thomas Cleary at the library awhile back, and picked it up. Japanese bushido thinking is something I normally find interesting, and I've gravitated to books like The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings in the past. In this case, I had a far more difficult time staying engaged with the material. Perhaps it was the "anthology" nature of the material, meaning that there wasn't necessarily a lot of continuity from chapter to chapter. Given the writings span over 500 years, I can somewhat understand that...
There are 22 chapters, each consisting of a writing by some Japanese individual who was well-known as a bushido teacher in that particular time period. Cleary gives a short intro of the person's biography and cultural setting, as well as their philosophical bent. The rest of the chapter is then a translated writing of theirs that covers some element of bushido, be it warfare, personal responsibility, or training. Cleary has done a nice job in translating the material in a way that makes it understandable to the Western reader. Given that each chapter stands completely alone, you can digest the book in small chunks without having to keep track of an overall plot or theme.
I think I struggled in that the writers each had their own slants and takes on Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shinto in terms of how they affected the life of a samurai. Not having a strong background in the differences and nuances of each, I think some of the material was lost on me. Also, I missed the continuity that comes from a single writer exploring a subject in some detail. I'm sure I'd feel different if the subjects were more a part of my normal culture. But as such, they came across as somewhat random and eclectic.
I think Cleary did a fine job in translation of the material. I just think that you'd have to be pretty well grounded in bushido thought to get the most out of this book.
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